Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Bear Mountain's annual Scout Merit Badge Day will take place at Bear Mountain, Saturday, March 9, 2013. If you have any Scouts working toward their Snow Sports Merit Badge, this is an opportunity to demonstrate their skiing or snowboarding abilities to a Snow Sports Merit Badge Counselor at our lowest rates of the season!

If you have any Scouts working towards earning their Snow Sports Merit Badge, then this would be the perfect time to participate. There is no minimum amount of participants to qualify for this event. Parents and siblings are welcome to take advantage of the discounted rates.

Your troop will receive discounts on lift tickets, rental equipment and lessons. Plus, with each block of twenty lift tickets purchased, your group receives the 21st free. Also, we offer a way to help easily coordinate a lunch for your troop with Value Priced Food Vouchers which can be purchased with your order for $10.00 (redeemable for $13.00) or $12.00 per person (redeemable for $16.00). Your troop can still enjoy a lunch together or have the opportunity to choose where and when they eat.

We understand the amount of time and effort that is involved in planning a group outing, and appreciate all of your hard work. Getting an early start can be extremely helpful to your efforts. Here are the forms you will need to set up your group trip. Please take the time to read the Group Sales Guidelines as this will explain the Group procedures to assist in your trip planning and will provide answers to some questions you might have.

New this season: Electronic Waivers. The online system will make gathering waivers for the members of your group easier. You will be assigned a login number /name for your group. This will allow you to manage (add/edit/email/text) the members of your party; see who has completed their waiver and those who need some prompting. This new system makes it more convenient for parents/guardian to sign liability waivers in advance for their children 17 and under. And it will be less hectic for the leader and streamline your group check in.

We are still in the process of getting the Electronic waivers implemented. Once it is up and running, someone from the sales department will contact you with the login.

We are excited to have you visit us this upcoming season. The Sales Department will make our best efforts to help you plan a successful and fun-filled day at the slopes.

Please let me know if you have questions. I look forward to working with you.

Weather: Great Weather, does get fog during the winter monthsSite: BBQ are locked, so you need to get the code. Also only one port-a-potty in camp. They have water. No open fires.Trail: A 2.6 mile loop trail takes you through some of Sage Ranch’s most spectacular scenery. Easy to moderate in difficulty.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

I am humbled by the number of Scouts, community members and friends of friends that came out to Stoney Point today and made a huge difference in our landmark hiking and bouldering park.

We had an estimated 130 volunteers who collected a mass amount of rubbish and cleared many pathways. Anyone walking through Stoney Point will now have a safe and clean path because of all your dedicated efforts.

Special thanks to the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council and their representative Jelena Csany for supplying the great coffee, bagels and those awesome hot dogs.

This was our 7th year, and each time we host this event, the number of volunteers keeps on growing. What more can a community member ask for?

The number of Scout volunteers was up this year, and that in itself was great to see, being I am a seasoned Scout myself.

I just love those little Cub Scouts. Everything they saw and did will have a monumental impact in their lives because of what they learned from watching the older Scouts do. They learned that, as a Scout, the meaning of "Do a Good Turn Daily" is what our nation will expect of them as they grow to be the next generation of our country's citizens.

We had over 50 tall trash bags full of anything from old beer bottles to a folding chair. A folding chair? What was that person thinking?

Kudos to REI for all the cool Stoney Point shirts, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office for the energy drinks and the United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their parking facilities.

Yup, it was sprinkling a bit of rain but we only got a little bit wet. But what impressed me the most is that, even though it was overcast and sprinkling for a while, you all stayed without any hesitation whatsoever. What more can I say about the outpouring of environmental Stewardship and your time and commitment to make this event rock?